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¹ My sonne, keepe my wordes, & hide my commandements with thee.² Keepe my commandements, and thou shalt liue, and mine instruction as the apple of thine eyes.³ Binde them vpon thy fingers, and write them vpon the table of thine heart.⁴ Say vnto wisedome, Thou art my sister: and call vnderstanding thy kinswoman,⁵ That they may keepe thee from the strange woman, euen from the stranger that is smoothe in her wordes.

⁶ As I was in the window of mine house, I looked through my windowe,⁷ And I sawe among the fooles, and considered among the children a yong man destitute of vnderstanding,⁸ Who passed through the streete by her corner, and went toward her house,⁹ In the twilight in the euening, when the night began to be blacke and darke.¹⁰ And beholde, there met him a woman with an harlots behauiour, and subtill in heart.¹¹ (She is babling and loud: whose feete can not abide in her house.¹² Nowe she is without, nowe in the streetes, and lyeth in waite at euery corner)¹³ So she caught him & kissed him and with an impudent face said vnto him,¹⁴ I haue peace offerings: this day haue I payed my vowes.¹⁵ Therefore came I forth to meete thee, that I might seeke thy face: and I haue found thee.¹⁶ I haue deckt my bed with ornaments, carpets and laces of Egypt.¹⁷ I haue perfumed my bedde with myrrhe, aloes, and cynamom.¹⁸ Come, let vs take our fill of loue vntill the morning: let vs take our pleasure in daliance.¹⁹ For mine husbande is not at home: he is gone a iourney farre off.²⁰ He hath taken with him a bagge of siluer, and will come home at the day appointed.²¹ Thus with her great craft she caused him to yeelde, and with her flattering lips she entised him.²² And he followed her straight wayes, as an oxe that goeth to the slaughter, and as a foole to the stockes for correction,²³ Till a dart strike through his liuer, as a bird hasteth to the snare, not knowing that he is in danger.

²⁴ Heare me now therefore, O children, and hearken to the wordes of my mouth.²⁵ Let not thine heart decline to her wayes: wander thou not in her paths.²⁶ For shee hath caused many to fall downe wounded, & the strong men are all slaine by her.²⁷ Her house is the way vnto ye graue, which goeth downe to the chambers of death.